


the endless in-between

by saidthebutterfly



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Post-Break Up, Romance, Speculation, an unlikely idea written purely for catharsis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:12:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6061684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saidthebutterfly/pseuds/saidthebutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Digg told me everything went smoothly with the implant procedure. And I knew you were okay, I just - it didn’t feel right, not being here.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	the endless in-between

**Author's Note:**

> This was written purely for fun (and some catharsis) after fleshing out a crazy theory about the upcoming Olicity angst. I by no means actually expect the Arrow writers to go down this bait-and-switch path, but it was a fun alternative to actual angst - and once I had presented the wild concept to a few friends, they demanded I write this specific moment for them as a private little fic I had no intention of ever publishing.
> 
> It's all K (sharingmyworld)'s fault, basically. She begged me to publish once she read it.
> 
> Just keep in mind, this is nothing more than a cathartic alternative to what's more than likely about to happen in canon instead - not an actual statement of what I expect to happen. (Though I won't complain in the least if it does.)
> 
> [Title taken from Imogen Heap's "Wait it Out," which is actually a pretty relevant song for this story.]

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It’s well after three o’clock in the morning when he makes his way into Starling Hospital through the busy ER waiting room, green hoodie pulled up over his head and face tilted down to hide himself as much as possible under the bright fluorescent lights all around. Once he reaches the main hospital atrium he bypasses the elevator bay and quickly disappears into the first stairwell he finds.

Taking the steps two at a time until he reaches the fourth floor, he pauses at the door to check his surroundings before quietly opening it and stepping into the empty hallway unnoticed. It takes him a few detours and u-turns to avoid being spotted by those working the night shift, but he lucks out that it’s a Friday night and everyone at the nurses station seems to be distracted by a potluck celebration of some kind. They never see him as he silently pushes through the doorway to Room 417 and disappears into the darkness therein.

It’s silent inside her hospital room this time, the only sound the whir of the Alaris pump delivering IV fluids and antibiotics into her arm. The cardiac monitor at her bedside is on mute, and he remembers the nurses explaining to him last time that it will still alarm at the nurses station if anything unusual happens, but this way she can rest more peacefully in between the poking and prodding that happens every four hours at the very least.

It takes him a full 30 seconds of just staring at the monitor before he finally realizes he’s made it - he’s found his way to her despite every obstacle in his path. And when his eyes land on her sleeping form at last, he’s nearly overcome with emotion. She’s beautiful, and she’s whole, and she’s right in front of him. Sure, he’s seen her in the lair almost every day since that horrible night after William was rescued from the clutches of Damien Darhk, but it’s a few all-too-brief hours at best - and they’ve not had a moment alone since she moved out.

He misses her. God, he misses her so much that it nearly drops him to his knees right then. He wishes he could hold her hand, or at least brush the hair out of her face and ghost a kiss across her temple. But he doesn’t want to wake her. He shouldn’t even be here. He only came because he couldn’t stand to be away from her on such an important day.

He knows it’s selfish to be here, not to mention reckless and stupid. His brain is screaming that he should leave before it’s too late.

Forcing his feet to move, he means to sneak out the same way he entered only moments before but instead his legs take him to the opposite side of the room where he stands in the shadowed corner beside the window and just… watches as she breathes. The steady rise and fall of her chest brings back the peace he’s been missing since the night they had to say goodbye, and he’s content to stand stock-still keeping watch over her until daylight comes if only the universe would slow down for a bit and grant him those few hours of tranquility.

But suddenly her face contorts in what he’s come to know as the sign of a bad dream, and she whimpers softly before his body moves of its own volition and she startles awake from the sound of his arm grazing past the window blinds.

Stopping dead in his tracks, still partially swallowed into the darkness of the room, he holds his breath and waits. He recognizes the exact moment she notices someone standing in the shadows, and his heart skips a beat when she smiles a little instead of screaming for help.

“Oliver?” She whispers hopefully, and he can hear the crack in her voice at the end of his name.

Swallowing hard, he steps forward into the moonlight from the window and pulls down his hood.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just - I was -”

“You can’t be here,” Felicity replies with a sudden sense of urgency. She’s more awake now, more alert, and his presence is starting to make her panic. “Oliver, you can’t be here. What if someone saw you? There are cameras all over the hospital and I don’t have the access I need right now to be able to delete your image from the files in time. If you get caught -”

“Hey,” Oliver whispers in that familiar tone he’s always reserved just for her. “It’s okay. I drove the car to the campaign office, then took the Ducati out from the garage of the lair and circled back on three different routes before I finally parked in an alley a block away. I kept my head down and my hood up the entire time. No one knows I’m here. I promise.”

That seems to calm her fears enough, and Oliver watches as the monitor beside her bed starts to stabilize again just before it would have set off the alarms and brought her nurse into their secret moment. She wants to reach out for him, but she pulls the blanket higher over her chest instead and fixes him with a steady gaze and a question in her eyes.

“I just,” he continues softly, “I had to see you.”

“Oliver…” She sighs, a solid lump forming in her throat.

“Digg told me everything went smoothly with the implant procedure. And I knew you were okay, I just - it didn’t feel right, not being here.”

Felicity closes her eyes tightly and releases a shaky breath. “I’m scared, Oliver. What if - what if it doesn’t work?”

He doesn’t force himself to keep his distance any longer, the tears welling in her eyes more than enough to pull him to her despite any number of internal arguments against. Dropping into the chair at her bedside, Oliver takes her hand in his and smiles. “It’ll work. Curtis is the smartest person I’ve ever met aside from you. It’s going to work. I know it will.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she answers quietly. “What if  _ this _ doesn’t work?” She asks, squeezing his hand tightly in her own to make her point. “What if it’s never over and we’re never... I hate this, Oliver. You should have been here today. Everyone keeps asking me how I’m feeling and the only thing I can think about is how much I want  _ you _ here instead of them. I miss you so much and I’m scared that this might  _ never _ be over.”

“Felicity…” he breathes out like a prayer. “I know. But we have to do this. We both agreed that it’s the only way. If Darhk and Malcolm think you hate me now, they have no reason to target you anymore. And I have to keep you safe. After William, I can’t risk them coming back for you.”

A lonesome tear escapes from her eye and trails down her cheek as she shakes her head in reply. “It’s not fair. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“I know, baby. It’s killing me to stay away from you. I’m not doing so great without you either. That’s why I broke our rules tonight.”

“I’m glad you did,” Felicity responds before sniffling softly and blinking away the remaining tears in her eyes.

Oliver reaches out to swipe his thumb over the tear track on her cheek and then cups her face with his palm. “This  _ will _ work, Felicity. I promise you. I’m going to stop them both, for good, and then I’m never letting go of you for the rest of my life.”

Smiling softly, still not completely reassured, she gives him a small nod and sighs. “Just - you know, sometime before we’re in our 50s would be preferable.”

He chuckles lightly despite the mood, forever in awe of the strength she possesses.

“Before this summer has even officially started,” he replies in earnest. “I took the liberty of making sure the Palmer Tech jet is ready to take us back to Bali the minute this is over.”

Felicity relaxes fully at that, a true smile finally spreading over her face as she hums in approval.

“And then I want to marry you,” she tells him as she reaches up to remove his hand from her face and bring it down to join their other hands on her lap. “I think I’ve earned at least that much as a reward for my patience and understanding.”

Oliver smiles in return, but his heart sinks into his stomach a little as he thinks of everything she’s had to endure both for and because of him recently. 

“That, and so much more.” He agrees emphatically.

Just then there’s the distinct sound of nurses and medical techs conversing not far from her door, and Felicity looks to the clock on the wall before sighing in resignation.

“I’m due for vitals and pain meds in ten minutes. They’ll be in here to reposition me and check my incision while they’re at it. It could take twenty minutes or more before they finish. You should sneak out while you still have a chance.”

Oliver just nods in reply, knowing he can’t risk being caught anywhere near Felicity when the crucial part of their master plan involves everyone around them believing their relationship is over. Still, he has enough time to say a proper goodnight.

Leaning forward, he captures her lips with his own and both of their eyes flutter shut at the sensation they’ve been missing for more than a month now. It’s a soft and gentle kiss, and he doesn’t allow himself the luxury of lingering too long, but it’s enough. Enough for now. Pulling back, he brushes his thumb across her lower lip and then stands up to lean over her once more, kissing her forehead reverently as he breathes in the smell of her hair.

Felicity whimpers softly, clutching his hand tightly in her own, before he finally stands up straight and chokes back the emotion trying to climb out of his throat. Giving her hand one last squeeze, Oliver then reaches behind his head to pull the hood of his favorite green sweatshirt back up and over his eyes.

As he strides toward the door with caution, he peeks through the small window to make sure the staff have all moved away again before he grabs the handle and takes a step back to pull it open.

“Oliver?” He hears her call to him just before he makes his move.

When he turns to look at her once more she’s crying again, but there’s a distinct glimmer of hope in her eyes now.

“I love you,” she whispers through the darkness.

“I love you, too.” Oliver replies automatically. “No matter what.”

And just like that, he’s gone again.

  
  
  
_ Fin. _


End file.
